Product Guide

a guide to buying
safer sleep essentials
 Guidance on baby products
Choosing what items your baby might need can be overwhelming.
To help with this we have put together a guide on how to choose the
products or items your baby needs to reduce the chance of sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Things don’t have to be complicated!

A quick reference guide

A few essentials that you need:

Cot or Moses basket Portable sleep space

Mattress Sleeping bag or sheets and a blanket

Room thermometer Car seat

Things to check
Does the item comply with British Standards?
If so it should say on the product itself, its Items we would
packaging, instructions or website. not recommend:
If the item is something for your baby to sleep • Pods/nests
on such as a mattress is it:
• Pillows/duvets/thick
• firm? (baby’s head should not sink in by more heavy bedding
than a few millimetres)
• Cot bumpers
• entirely flat with no raised or
cushioned areas? • Hammocks

• does it have a waterproof cover? • Sleep positioners

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 Product claims and what to look for
Many products make claims about the benefits to your baby, and it can
be hard to sort the science from the marketing. We can help you with
what to look for and what to ignore.
What to look for
We strongly advise that any product
you choose complies with British
Standards, especially if you are buying
an item over the internet. A British
Standard tells us that the product has
passed certain tests, such as making
sure it will not fall apart or set on fire
easily, but does not mean that it will
be safe when it comes to reducing
the risk of SIDS. If a product complies
with a standard it should be stated on
the product, its packaging or website.
We also advise that you carefully
follow the instructions that come
with any product you buy. If you
buy a second-hand product, it is
very important that you get hold of
a copy of the instructions from the
manufacturer. When a manufacturer
creates a sleeping product they
mean for it to be used in a certain
way. Using an item in a way the
manufacturer did not intend could
put your baby at risk.
Bear in mind that just because a
product is made by a name you know
or sold on the high street does not
mean it is safe for your baby to sleep
in or on.
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Claims you can ignore

Anything that claims to help

1 baby sleep longer/more deeply
For tired parents, any product claiming to help your baby sleep for longer
might sound like a good idea. However, it is normal for babies under one
(or sometimes even older) to wake during the night, particularly if they
are breastfed.
Encouraging babies to sleep for longer and more deeply than is normal
for their stage of development may affect their ability to wake up if
something is wrong, such as if their mouth and nose become covered.
This inability to wake easily from sleep is thought to be linked to SIDS.

2 ‘Breathability’/Temperature regulation

If a baby gets too hot this can put them at a higher risk of SIDS. The best
way to make sure that your baby does not get too hot is to sleep them on
a firm, flat surface, on their back, with bedding and clothing that is suitable
for the room temperature. If you follow this guidance the breathability and
temperature regulation of a sleep surface does not need to be a consideration.
Rather than being breathable, it is more
important that a mattress is waterproof
or has a waterproof cover.
A waterproof cover helps
to stop bacteria building
up inside the mattress so
there is less risk of infection,
which may increase the risk
of SIDS.

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 3 ‘Safe/safer’(for baby)

There are no standards that look specifically at whether a product

decreases or increases the risk of SIDS; most cover other issues such as the
construction of the item, chemicals or fire safety.
To reduce the risk of SIDS, pick products that allow you to follow safer sleep
advice such as sleeping bags, which stop babies from wriggling under covers.
When checking a product is safe for baby to sleep on, remember the
simple rule: firm, flat and waterproof.

‘Reduces the risk of flat-head

4 syndrome’ (plagiocephaly)
A baby’s head is soft and can naturally become flattened, which can worry
some parents. A product should not be needed to prevent or reduce this,
but if you are worried you should speak to your doctor or health visitor. If a
product is soft enough to reduce flat-head syndrome it is soft enough to cause
a baby to overheat, which increases the chance of SIDS. Anything soft in a cot
can also increase the risk of suffocation.
Allowing your baby plenty of supervised tummy time when awake is a way
you can help to avoid or lessen the effect of flat-head syndrome, without
increasing the risk of SIDS.

‘Reduces risk of SIDS’/‘Reduces

5 environmental factors associated with SIDS’
Claims that a product will decrease the risk of SIDS are almost always not
true. It depends on what the product is being compared to. We would
advise parents to be cautious about any product that says it will reduce the
risk of SIDS. However, any product that conforms to safer sleep advice (such
as the recommended items on pages 6-8) will be less risky than one that
does not.

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For safer sleep you don’t need
to buy lots of products or spend
more on expensive items.
There are just a few essentials you need:

Cot/Moses basket and mattress

It is important that the mattress is firm, entirely flat, and waterproof,
with no soft or cushioned areas, particularly around baby’s head.
Soft mattresses are known to increase the risk of SIDS. They make it
harder for babies to lose body heat, which can cause them to become
too hot.
The surface of the mattress should be firm enough that when your baby
is placed on it, their head does not sink in more than a few millimetres.
Three key questions you could ask are:
1. Is it firm? 2. Is it flat? 3. Does it have a waterproof cover?
If you choose a second hand mattress make sure it has been stored
somewhere clean, dry and smoke-free.

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 Portable sleep space
(Moses basket/ travel cot/
carry cot)
We advise that your baby is in the
same room as you when they sleep
– day and night. If you choose a
Moses basket or travel cot follow
the mattress advice opposite, and
don’t add extra padding.

Sleeping bag or sheets and a blanket

Baby sleeping bags are a good option as they prevent your baby’s head
from being covered by wriggling under bedding. You can choose different
togs for different seasons to help keep your baby at the right temperature.
You can also select different sizes depending on the age of your baby.
It is important that the sleeping bag fits well around the shoulders so that
your baby’s head does not slip down into the bag. Extra bedding should
not be needed.
Blankets are fine as an alternative as long as they aren’t too thick or
doubled over, so there is no chance of overheating. If using blankets, make
sure they are firmly tucked in and come up no higher than the shoulders.
Sleep your baby in the ‘feet-to-foot’ position (baby’s feet against the foot
of the cot) to avoid their face becoming covered by loose bedding.

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 Room thermometer
Any room a baby sleeps in should
be between 16°c and 20°c. A room
thermometer can help to avoid
your baby getting too hot or cold.

Pram
Babies are safest sleeping flat
and on their backs. Like all
places where your baby may go
to sleep, make sure the mattress
is firm, flat and waterproof.

Car seat
Car seats are essential for safety
when travelling, but babies
should not sleep in a car seat
for long periods as many aren’t
flat, which can mean babies are
slumped over.
On longer journeys give your
baby regular breaks and if
possible have an adult sit with
the baby in the back of the car,
or use a mirror so you are able
to keep an eye on them.

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Products that we would
not advise you to buy:

Pods/nests
Pods or nests are a softer type of sleep surface sometimes used instead
of or in addition to a mattress, with areas that are raised or cushioned.
When sleeping, babies shouldn’t lie on or have anything soft around
them, particularly their heads, as this can cause them to overheat and
increases the risk of SIDS.
Soft, squishy materials can also cover baby’s mouth and nose if they are
pressed against it.
It is also important to remember that while there is a British Standard for
cot mattresses, there is no standard for pods or nests as a sleeping place
for babies.

Pillows/duvets/
thick heavy bedding
Duvets, cot quilts and pillows
have been shown to increase
the risk of SIDS and are not
recommended for babies
under 12 months.

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 Cot bumpers
Cot bumpers pose a serious risk
to babies. Accidents have been
caused by babies becoming
entangled in the ties or material.
Your baby’s cot should be kept
clear to be as safe as possible.
If the cot meets the British
Standard in terms of shape,
build, and spacing of the bars,
this helps to lower the risk of a
baby injuring themselves on the
cot sides.
10 Product Guide - a guide to buying safer sleep essentials
Hammocks
Hammocks are not a firm flat
surface for babies to sleep on,
which we know is safest for babies
because it reduces the risk of SIDS.
Sleep positioners
Babies should not be slept on
any surface that straps or
holds them in one position,
whether that is on their back,
front or side.
Some products are sold that
claim to help babies relax by
holding them in position on
their tummy. However, it is
very risky if babies fall asleep on
their tummies, so we strongly
recommend you do not use any
item that does this.
You can sign up for NHS-approved advice on pregnancy,
birth and beyond delivered direct to your phone by
visiting www.nhs.uk/start4life or speak to your health
visitor, practice nurse or midwife.

The Lullaby Trust receives financial support from a small number of baby product
manufacturers. Our relationships with them do not in any way influence our safer
sleep advice, which is informed by scientific research. Funding from companies helps
us to provide free safer sleep advice and support bereaved parents. We only associate
with companies that support our safer sleep message and produce products that
we consider to be safe. The images in this booklet are of products produced by our
sponsors. Information on our corporate supporters can be found here
www.lullabytrust.org.uk/support-us/corporate-fundraising/meet-our-corporate-
partners/
To read the research and evidence behind this guide go to
www.lullabytrust.org.uk/research/evidence-base
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 Produced with the kind support of Public Health England

e p it si m ple,
Ke
e e p i t s afe.
K

The Lullaby Trust

www.lullabytrust.org.uk
T: 020 7802 3200
Information line: 0808 802 6869 (Freephone)
Registered charity no: 262191
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